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Novel Catalog
Chapter 70
“Okay.” Bonnie didn’t resist as Ivor led her away.
Halle and Rowena’s expressions shifted from shock to disbelief, and finally to denial. The scene was almost amusing to witness.
“What in the world happened, Halle? Has Ivor really fallen for her? What should I do if that’s true?” Rowena’s voice trembled with frustration, her eyes welling up with tears.
Halle clenched her jaw, trying to suppress her unease. Stop it. Ivor has taste. There’s no way he’d fall in love with Bonnie.
“You say that, but he bought her an expensive dress. How do we explain that?” Rowena asked, her voice strained.
“Maybe he just wanted to preserve the honor of his branch of the family,” Halle muttered, though her words sounded hollow even to her.
“Well… He held her hand too. He’s never held any woman’s hand, not even mine. How do we explain that?” Rowena’s eyes were wide with disbelief.
Halle scratched her head, stumped. She had no answer for that. In fact, she would love to know herself.
By the time Bonnie and Ivor had walked far enough away, Bonnie turned to him, a playful smile on her lips. “Thanks for that,” she said, raising her glass.
Ivor clinked his glass lightly against hers, his expression soft. “It was my duty. No thanks necessary.”
Bonnie’s smile faltered slightly, and she frowned. “Although…”
Ivor turned to her. “What is it?”
Bonnie shifted her gaze towards Rowena, who wasn’t too far off, then shot a knowing glance at him. “She seems to really like you. Haven’t you just squandered your chance at a romantic relationship?”
Ivor’s lips curled into a smile at first, but his expression darkened slightly. “Listen to yourself. Are you jealous?”
“I’m many things, but I’m not jealous,” Bonnie replied coolly.
Ivor’s lightheartedness faded a bit as he absorbed her words.
Meanwhile, Halle and Rowena were conspiring to teach Bonnie a lesson. They had cooked up a plan to humiliate her, and it was only a matter of time before they put it into action.
Once again, they approached Bonnie. Halle raised her voice deliberately to attract attention, her tone challenging. “You once told me you were good at flower arranging, Bonnie. What a coincidence… Rowena’s good at it too. Why don’t you two have a little competition? It doesn’t matter who wins, of course. It’ll just add something fun to the party. What do you think?”
Ivor leaned closer to Bonnie, his voice low. “Do you know your way around flower arranging?”
Bonnie glanced at him, a small, knowing smile tugging at her lips. “I know enough to get by, but I’ve never told them that.”
Ivor’s expression shifted as realization dawned. They’re doing this on purpose.
Halle’s voice rang out again, louder this time. “Hey, Bonnie! Why aren’t you answering me? Are you going to chicken out? Like I said, it’s just a game. It doesn’t matter who wins. But are you going to disrespect us by turning us down? Or do you think you’re too good for Rowena?”
The other guests began to take notice, murmuring amongst themselves and casting curious glances in Bonnie’s direction.
Ivor squinted at Halle, who was pushing her luck. Just as he was about to speak, Bonnie stepped forward confidently, cutting him off.
“Let’s do it,” she said, her voice unwavering. “But we’ll need to have some stakes. Otherwise, it’ll be a waste of time.”
Halle’s eyes gleamed with delight. “Sure. What’s on your mind?”